The Washington critic., 1887-05-28
GARLhNDs FOR GRANT.
The Fresh Flowers That are Daily
Placed Upon His Tomb.


Placed Upon His Tomb.
Seeing so many beautiful flowers
heaped upon the tomb Of General Grant
which visited the other day, says
Nellie Bly, In the Brooklyn Times, my
curiosity was excited by the question,
Where do they all come from, and do
they serve no other purpose than to
deck the great soldiers resting place
until they die? Garlands are appro.
pirate to the soldier. living or dead,
but the best men arc not remembered
always, and SO the profuslon OF the
flowers surprised me.
A few days later. In conversation
with Colonel Fred. Grant, / learned
the sources Of the garlands, and also
that their usefulness Outlives their
beauty.
my mother has always visited the
tomb every day until the last two
weeks" said Colonel Grant. "Then
she caught cold, and II settled into o
serious illness. (which has confined her
to her room and to the Doctors care, so
that she could not make her daily
visits"
"Does the family furnish all the floral
decorations which fill the vault?" i
asked.
mo, no indeed we do moi" replied
Colonel Grant. "Once every week my
mother takes out large design made
of cut flowers. These remain there
until she orders the guard to remove
them and replace them with the fresh
ones she may send. So that all the
time her selection of flowers Is there"
1.-The other flowers are from friends,
then p
"Some are, but the majority are from
strangers. can say that daily, with
ont an exception, floral remembrances
are received from all parts of the
United States. We order them placed
In the vault, where they remain until
faded and withered.
"Who generally sends them2"
well, they come In all ways; from
Grand Army posts, clubs, societies,
school and mission children. Then
private people, both Of this and other
cities, send beautiful remembrances In
floral work"
when the Americas Club of Pitts.
burg" he continued, celebrated the
anniversary of General Grants birth
day they sent me an Invitation and l
attended. At the same time they sent
a costly pillow, of the most exquisite
flowers ever saw, to be placed In the
tomb. Just at the same date q number
of school children of Los Angeles, CAL,
sent mass Of beautiful flowers, which
reached here In o perfect state OF preser.
walton. They attracted great deal of
admiration.
"What is done with all the faded
liowers2"
"They never go to waste" was the
reply. Solicitations arrive In num-
bers daily from people Of all classes
and stations in life, begging for some
memento from General Grants tomb.
They ask something, If 1t be no more
than a withered leaf or bud. The
guards are continually promising the
faded flowers to visitors, always pro-
viding Mrs. Grant gives permission or
has not promised them elsewhere.
Some get an entire design, which they
have framed to preserve the faded
flower, but the demand Is so much
greater than the supply, regardless Of
all the flowers received daily, that they
are generally divided. Just the other
day Mrs. Grant gave Miss Helen Des.
mond large pillow from the Gen
erals tomb. Miss Desmond. / believe
intended to present 1t to some post
Since my father was buried know
that not even faded bud taken from
his tomb has been thrown away"